Preparing for the Mobile Algorithm Shift
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Mobile design considerations and app indexing - how to prepare for the mobile algorithm shift from Google on April 21st.
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Preparing for the Mobile Algorithm Shift
- 1. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER Crystal Ware Head of SEO www.location3.com @crystalware PREPARING FOR THE MOBILE ALGORITHM SHIFT
- 2. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER DEFINING MOBILE
- 3. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER
- 4. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER REAL-TIME: According to Google, the algorithm will run in “real-time,” meaning it will constantly be updating and adjusting rankings based on a variety of factors. PAGE SPECIFIC: The algorithm will be based on a page by page basis, meaning optimized pages will have a better chance, but a lack for certain optimizations will not penalize an entire site. APP INDEXING: Google has explicitly said that apps that are indexed in the engine will begin to rank better in search. This places a big emphasis on linking and correctly marking up app pages the same as you would traditional pages. UX: User experience will play a large role in mobile rankings. Bounce rates, time on site, and click-throughs will all play into how the engine perceives the relevance of a page. Design standards that improve usability like button and text size will also play into this. UNDERSTANDING THE ALGORITHM
- 5. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER 3 ALGORITHMS TO NOTE THAT EFFECT MOBILE VENICE February 2012 Greatly increased local search results for non geo- modified searches. HUMMINGBIRD August 2013 More than an update, Hummingbird focused on semantic search and Knowledge Graph, delivering results based on how searchers speak rather than type, preparing for mobile voice search (think Siri). PIGEON July 2014 Cited as an updated to Venice, modified how Google interprets location searches, reducing 7-pack and 3-pack map listing results.
- 6. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER
- 7. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER The biggest opportunities and focuses for our SEO strategy can be seen in this result. MOBILE FRIENDLY TAG – Designates that the page in the SERP is mobile friendly. SNIPPETS- If relevant, Google will display schema (snippet mark-up). APP INDEXING- If a result has a related page within an indexed application, that will appear next to the result and push that result up further in SERP. SERP APPEARANCE- Cont’d THE GOOD
- 8. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER MOBILE USABILITY ISSUE– A message sent to webmasters if their site may have issues that violate the mobile algorithm. SERPS USABILITY WARNING - If relevant, Google will display a warning for users that indicates certain aspects of a page may not work in mobile. SERP APPEARANCE- Cont’d THE BAD & THE UGLY
- 9. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER PREPARING FOR THE MOBILE ALGORITHM SHIFT MOBILE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
- 10. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER MOBILE FRIENDLY DESIGN OPTIONS
- 11. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER RESPONSIVE DESIGN • Completely flexible regardless of device type • Automatically orientates itself based on the screen size, rather than detecting a specific browser or device. • Usually more expensive because of the work it takes to code and test. • Requires a significant amount of time up front understanding page layouts and how those might render across any device • Load times may be longer, depending on the size and content of your site. • Provides a seamless user experience between devices • https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile- sites/mobile-seo/configurations/responsive-design • https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/la youts/rwd-fundamentals/
- 12. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER ADAPTIVE OR DYNAMIC DESIGN • Focuses on the user instead of the device or browser. • Predefined set of layouts are developed based on popular device sizes and then the most relevant layout is presented to the user depending on the user-agent • Usually more cost-effective • Provides a seamless user experience between devices • https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile-sites/mobile-seo/configurations/dynamic-serving
- 13. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER SEPARATE MOBILE PAGES • Mapping must be accurate between the desktop and mobile sites. • Never just send a mobile user to the homepage of your mobile subdomain • https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile- sites/mobile-seo/configurations/separate-urls Desktop Mobile
- 14. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER • The content must be readable • Navigation must be easy to see and use • Make sure images are compressed • The site needs to be fast • Think local • Include a link to the full site if your users are so inclined. Great Resource: https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/principles Testing Tools: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/ Webmaster Tools mobility error report DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
- 15. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER Common Errors: • View configuration errors • Small font • Touch elements too close • Content not sized • Flash usage Common Mistakes: • Blocked JavaScript and CSS • Unplayable content • Faulty redirects • Slow load speeds https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile- sites/mobile-seo/common-mistakes/ ERROR ALERTS!
- 16. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER PREPARING FOR THE MOBILE ALGORITHM SHIFT MOBILE APP OPTIMIZATION
- 17. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER
- 18. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER According to Google, of users that are signed-in, 15% of Google searches on Android now return links to apps through this App Indexing process. In the past quarter, the number of clicks on app deep links have jumped 10x.
- 19. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER On-Metadata • Application title • Description • Imagery and Video • Memorable Icon Off-Metadata • Ratings • Reviews • Links • Social signals APP STORE OPTIMIZATIONS
- 20. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER APPLICATION INDEXING App Indexing lets Google index apps just like websites. Deep links to your Android app appear in Google Search results, letting users get to your native mobile experience quickly, landing exactly on the right content within your app. This is done by creating relationships between the content on your web pages and deep links to content within your application. The first step in this process is to map the content of your web pages to content or functionality that exists within your app. Once mapping is completed, several steps follow to properly implement the deep links and connect your app. First, you must specify intent filters in your app that will define how to reach the content within your app. This enables you to add deep linking to your app. Second, you must connect your app to your website through the Google Play Console and Webmaster Tools. Third, you must provide the deep links. After your app and website are connected, if your app is using an HTTP scheme for handling deep links, Google will automatically start indexing the content of your app using URLs that Google has discovered through web indexing and that map the intent filters established in the first step. If your app is using a custom URI scheme, you will need to specify corresponding deep links to webpages. To ensure all code has been implemented properly, complete this launch checklist. Testing your deep links can be done by entering a deep link URL in this testing tool.
- 21. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER PREPARING FOR THE MOBILE ALGORITHM SHIFT IMPROVING THE USER EXPERIENCE
- 22. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER SOLICITING USER FEEDBACK
- 23. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER COLLECTING DATA
- 24. LOCATION3 / A GOOGLE PARTNER KEY TAKEAWAYS: PREPARING FOR THE MOBILE ALGORITHM SHIFT 1. Identify top traffic and conversion pages 2. Ensure those pages are mobile-friendly 3. Consider responsive or adaptive design as a long-term strategy 4. App store optimization 5. PR distribution of mobile app 6. Application indexation steps
Editor's Notes
- Mobile can be viewed and defined differently by your site, industry, users and ultimately your own company's objectives. Because at it's most fundamental form, we have desktop, tablet and mobile, Location3 defines mobile based client's objectives. Some group desktop and tablet, some group tablet and mobile. While we try to track all three individually, more times than not the desktop and tablet are grouped together. Why? Tablets and notebooks are essentially one in the same (Surface devices, etc.) and present a very similar User Experience when rendering a page.
- Starting April 21st Google will not just present mobile-friendly labels to users but will use specific mobile factors to rank domains in search results. According to Google, the mobile ranking signals will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and “will have a significant impact in our search results.” This will most definitely improve the user experience but will impact site traffic if your brand isn’t prepared.
- Organic search results are displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs), usually below any paid advertising results (PPC results). Google has started to shift Desktop results to mirror/ more closely resemble mobile results. Why? To give the user the most consistent experience across all of their devices. Try running matching searches in desktop and mobile, you’ll be surprised at the difference in result, but the similarity in presentation. Notice that the result mimics the desktop result quite well, but with the added benefit of opening organic results “in app.” If you have an organic page that ranks well, and it has a corresponding app page? LINK THEM for better results.
- MOBILE FRIENDLY TAG – Designates that the page in the SERP is mobile friendly. This is good for UX and Ranking, since it tells the user that the result is friendly for their phone. SNIPPETS- If relevant, Google will display schema (snippet mark-up). Discover “Card” pages have ratings, this helps appearance in search by drawing the eyes and helping trustability for users. APP INDEXING- If a result has a related page within an indexed application, that will appear next to the result and push that result up further in SERP.
- For every mobile friendly tag, a “mobile warning” can appear. Google (and other engines) will warn sites about mobile issues. They will also warn users of a bad mobile experience. Luckily Google has given us indications within Google Webmaster Tools to fix pages with Mobile issues. We can systematically begin to fix these pages.
- Consider your target audience. If they’re in their golden years, maybe you need to boost the font size. (Don’t think the elders have phones? Think again) If it can’t pass the thumb test, increase the size. The same goes for links. Make sure images are compressed and don’t increase load times. Users don’t want to wait around for content to load and don’t always count on 3G or 4G service. Make sure you have click-to-call, click for directions, NAP (name, address, phone number) information easily available and accurate locator functionality. Google and AnswerLab undertook an intensive research study examining how a range of users interacted with a diverse set of mobile sites. The goal, to answer the question: what makes a good mobile site?
- View configuration errors (doesn’t adapt to screen size) Small font (hard to read on mobile devices) Touch elements too close (buttons/ CTAs aren’t spaced properly) Content not sized (horizontal scrolling is required because elements on page don’t resize) Flash usage (flash elements are not mobile friendly)
- In many cases, mobile sites are not mapped correctly or are not optimized for mobile ranking; therefore mobile apps can sometimes offer better user experiences than a mobile site. When the content of the application is optimized, better rankings can be achieved in the app stores like Google Play and iTunes. When the indexing functionality has been implemented, your mobile phone will know which apps are installed and present those options in search results. An example of app indexing: when I search for “Alan Jackson” on my mobile phone via Google, I’m presented with options to listen to this artist on YouTube, Spotify and Google Play because I have those apps downloaded. This feature is currently only available on Android devices and Google Play, but with recent developments from Apple we anticipate this feature to also roll out soon. Another example: when searching for restaurants, search can understand when I have related apps with restaurant reviews and ratings. Not only will it present that information in search results but it will also prompt me to launch the app providing access to information, reviews, menu’s, etc. for that specific restaurant.
- According to Google, of users that are signed-in, 15% of Google searches on Android now return links to apps through this App Indexing process. In the past quarter, the number of clicks on app deep links have jumped 10x.
- On-Metadata: Identifying keywords for app optimization is not drastically different than conducting keyword research for any SEO effort. Use those keywords to create an optimized title for your app, making sure it’s not overly stuffed and unnatural – the same as writing titles for your webpages. The description for your app is very similar to writing a Meta description for your webpage. This is what entices users to learn more about your app and ultimately download. Use this as your sales pitch, making it succinct and include key features. Include images and video if available. Screenshots are some of the first things a user sees when browsing through apps. Use text in your screenshot, turning them into promotional graphics that explains exactly what a user is looking at. Make sure your icon is on brand point and memorable. The icon is what users will reference when scrolling through apps on their phone so you want it to stand out. All SEO best practices should be taken into account when determining optimization strategies, such as competitiveness of the targeted queries, competitive landscape of other applications, relevancy, long-tail opportunity, etc. Off-Metadata: Ratings are having more of an influence on ranking, especially in the Apple app store. Build a great product and offer in-app rating options for users to ensure you are getting those good ratings! Reviews help users determine if the app you’ve built is worth the download but can also impact your rankings within app stores. Read your reviews for feedback on ways to improve the usability and service your app is providing. Links have a direct impact on your ranking: “Getting people to write about your app improves your search ranking in the Play store.” - Google I/O, June 2012. Conducting successful outreach campaigns and developing relationships with key influencers will lead to more people talking about and linking to your app. Offer free access, beta review or some other promotion as PR efforts to kick start this process. Make sure you have linked to your app from the desktop and mobile sites, providing users direct access to download. Consider building a page dedicated to your app that highlights the features and usability consumers should expect once they download. Use this as an opportunity to include more detail that may not “fit” into the app store. Social signals and +1 (in the Google Play stores) can have an impact on driving users to download your app. Use in-app features to help users promote the apps they are using through tweets, shares on Facebook or +1 in the app store.
- App Indexing lets Google index apps just like websites. Deep links to your Android app appear in Google Search results, letting users get to your native mobile experience quickly, landing exactly on the right content within your app. This is done by creating relationships between the content on your web pages and deep links to content within your application. The first step in this process is to map the content of your web pages to content or functionality that exists within your app. Once mapping is completed, several steps follow to properly implement the deep links and connect your app. First, you must specify intent filters in your app that will define how to reach the content within your app. This enables you to add deep linking to your app. Second, you must connect your app to your website through the Google Play Console and Webmaster Tools. Third, you must provide the deep links. After your app and website are connected, if your app is using an HTTP scheme for handling deep links, Google will automatically start indexing the content of your app using URLs that Google has discovered through web indexing and that map the intent filters established in the first step. If your app is using a custom URI scheme, you will need to specify corresponding deep links to webpages using sitemaps, web annotations or the App Indexing API. If your app is automatically indexed, it is still recommended using one of these three methods to ensure everything is mapped and indexed correctly. To ensure all code has been implemented properly, complete this launch checklist. Testing your deep links can be done by entering a deep link URL in this testing tool.
- Consider using a CRM solution like Apptentive that provides access to better application management. A system should provide solutions for in-app surveys, ratings, in-app feedback, download insights, application management, and CRM integration.
- Monitoring App Indexing Performance: Give your developers access via Webmaster Tools so they can display errors in indexed pages within apps, show weekly clicks and impressions from app deep link via Google search and stats on your sitemap and much more to come. You can see engagement with your app such as weekly clicks and impressions update to the Message center in your Webmaster Tools account. Track how much traffic app deep links drive to your app using referrer information - specifically, the referrer extra in the ACTION_VIEW intent. And coming soon, integration with Google Analytics. Do not block resources, this may prevent deep and app linking from working properly. New Android App errors now show content mismatch, Intent URI not supported, APK not found, No first-click free and back button violation errors.